David Williams's wines of the week + Food & drink | The Guardianhttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/series/david-williams-wines-of-the-week+food-and-drink
Indexen-gbGuardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2015Wed, 04 Mar 2015 01:24:44 GMT2015-03-04T01:24:44Zen-gbGuardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2015The Guardianhttp://assets.guim.co.uk/images/guardian-logo-rss.c45beb1bafa34b347ac333af2e6fe23f.pnghttp://www.theguardian.com
Three of the best Italian red wines | David Williamshttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/mar/01/three-of-the-best-italian-red-wines
From a good-value introduction, via the pick of the supermarket bunch to a treat for slow-sipping reflection, a mini tour of Italy’s reds<p><strong>Pasqua Passimento, IGT Veneto, Italy 2013 (&pound;11.99, or &pound;7.99 if you buy two bottles, </strong><a href="http://www.majestic.co.uk/" title=""><strong>majestic.co.uk</strong></a><strong>) </strong>Generally speaking, the taste of raisins is not a good thing in red wines. It tends to come with spirity alcoholic heat and a lack of zip. I do, however, have a soft spot for wines made from raisins, especially those from the traditional home of the technique around Verona in Valpolicella. At their best these wines are sumptuously fleshy, big in alcohol, but balanced with vibrant acidity; deep in colour but deeply distinctive in dark cherry and chocolate flavour. At its offer price of &pound;7.99 for the next couple of weeks, Pasqua’s version is a robust, sweetly spicy, good-value introduction.</p><p><strong>Cantina di Soave Cadis Amarone della Valpolicella, Italy 2011 (&pound;14.99, Morrisons) </strong>The Valpolicella region has a variety of recipes for its red wines. Straight valpolicella uses undried grapes in wines that can be delightfully light, sappy and juicy (such as Corte Sant’Alda Ca’Fui 2013, &pound;16.50, <a href="https://www.laywheeler.com/" title="">laywheeler.com</a>), while valpolicella ripasso uses a portion of dried grapes to add weight – try Adalia Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2011 (&pound;19.95, <a href="http://www.robersonwine.com/" title="">robersonwine.com</a>). Best of all are the wines known as amarone, made entirely from grapes allowed to raisin in special drying lodges after harvest: Morrisons’s velvet-gloved own label is the pick of the supermarket bunch.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/mar/01/three-of-the-best-italian-red-wines">Continue reading...</a>WineFood & drinkItalian food and drinkLife and styleSun, 01 Mar 2015 06:00:10 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/mar/01/three-of-the-best-italian-red-winesPhotograph: Alamy'Best enjoyed with a hunk of parmesan and a book at hand': David Williams's favourite Italian reds. Photograph: AlamyPhotograph: Alamy'Best enjoyed with a hunk of parmesan and a book at hand': David Williams's favourite Italian reds. Photograph: AlamyDavid Williams2015-03-01T06:00:10ZThe new Spanish red wineshttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/22/spanish-red-wines-mencia-grape-variety-david-williams
<p>The rapid rise of the Spanish red grape variety mencía has taken Britain by storm</p><p><strong>Pizarras de Otero Bierzo, Spain 2013 (&pound;9.99, or &pound;6.66 if you buy two bottles, </strong><a href="http://www.majestic.co.uk/?gclid=COvQsu2s3MMCFcjHtAodtiwACg" title=""><strong>Majestic</strong></a><strong>)</strong> It’s rare for a grape variety to break through to the mainstream as rapidly as Spanish red grape menc&iacute;a has. Just five years ago it was hard to find any at all in the UK. Now most retailers stock at least one example. Bierzo, just across the border from Galicia, is where it’s most widely planted, with Galician winemaking co-operative Mart&iacute;n C&oacute;dax – better known for their textbook, sea-fresh R&iacute;as Baixas albari&ntilde;o whites – here conjuring up one of the best-value examples of the variety in its light and juicy easy-drinking mode: all crunchy berry fruit and floral freshness.</p><p><strong>Dominio de Tares Cepas Viejas, Bierzo, Spain 2009 (&pound;19.50, </strong><a href="http://swig.co.uk/" title=""><strong> Swig</strong></a><strong>; </strong><a href="https://www.laywheeler.com/" title=""><strong>Lay &amp; Wheeler</strong></a><strong>)</strong> One of the reasons for menc&iacute;a’s popularity is that it sits so well with the current preference for fresher reds: certainly the Pizarras, as well as Asda’s vibrant P&aacute;jaro Rojo Bierzo 2013 or the vivid, spicy El Castro de Valtuille Menc&iacute;a Jov&eacute;n 2013. It has a direct, racy quality similar to Beaujolais, and responds well to an hour or two in the fridge. But menc&iacute;a is also capable of being made into more serious wines that improve with age: Dominio de Tares’ old-vines bottling, for example, retains the cherry-freshness, but adds darker fruit, spicy oak and savoury, earthy bass notes.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/22/spanish-red-wines-mencia-grape-variety-david-williams">Continue reading...</a>WineFood & drinkLife and styleSun, 22 Feb 2015 06:00:07 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/22/spanish-red-wines-mencia-grape-variety-david-williamsPhotograph: /PRBest of three: the new Spanish wines now becoming popular here.Photograph: /PRBest of three: the new Spanish wines now becoming popular here.David Williams2015-02-22T06:00:07ZGreat Australian white wines | David Williamshttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/15/great-australian-white-wines-david-williams
<p>White wines from Down Under took a hammering when punters turned their noses up at the oak-filled chardonnays, but since then the Aussie white has reinvented itself and is now well worth a revisit</p><p><strong>Innocent Bystander Willing Participant Chardonnay, Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia 2012 (&pound;11.99, </strong><a href="http://www.tesco.com/" title=""><strong>Tesco</strong></a><strong>) </strong>There are still a lot of wine drinkers who are, as one merchant put it to me, “badly scarred” by their encounters with the big, badass Australian chardonnays of yore. Never mind that, of all the many improvements in Australian wine in the past decade or two, it’s the quality and diversity of the whites that is perhaps the most eye-catching; a lot of people still flinch at the memory of all that oaky clumsiness. It hasn’t helped that prices for Australian wines, thanks largely to exchange rates, are much higher than they used to be, with quality generally starting around a tenner. For the curious or convert, however, this Victorian is a beautifully judged and balanced example of the coolly exhilarating modern style.</p><p><strong>Rolf Binder Highness Riesling, Eden Valley, Australia 2013 (&pound;10.99, </strong><a href="http://www.waitrose.com/" title=""><strong>Waitrose</strong></a><strong>)</strong> It’s always been harder to stereotype Australia’s other most famous white styles as crude and bludgeoning, although, despite their naturally low-alcohol, the sheer strength of personality of both riesling from the Clare and Eden Valleys in South Australia and semillon from the Hunter Valley in New South Wales has made them, in a way, just as divisive. I love both, love the way they’re unapologetically themselves and couldn’t come from anywhere else. Rieslings such as Rolf Binder’s have a freshly squeezed lime intensity and verve that makes them natural partners for fish with Asian spice and herbs. Semillons like McGuigan The Shortlist Semillon 2007 (&pound;15, <a href="http://www.tesco.com/" title="">Tesco</a>), with its mix of lime marmalade on toast and herby freshness, are a natural fit for smoked salmon.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/15/great-australian-white-wines-david-williams">Continue reading...</a>WineFood & drinkLife and styleSun, 15 Feb 2015 06:00:06 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/15/great-australian-white-wines-david-williamsPhotograph: PRAussie rules: three whites to tempt you back to Australia.Photograph: PRAussie rules: three whites to tempt you back to Australia.David Williams2015-02-15T06:00:06ZWine highlights from the high street | David Williamshttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/08/wine-highlights-from-the-high-street
<p>The supermarket has dealt a hammer blow to the offie, but the likes of Wine Rack and Oddbins are fighting back with interesting and tasty offerings</p><p><strong>(&pound;13.49, <a href="http://www.winerack.co.uk/">Wine Rack</a>) </strong></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/08/wine-highlights-from-the-high-street">Continue reading...</a>WineFood & drinkLife and styleSun, 08 Feb 2015 06:00:07 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/08/wine-highlights-from-the-high-streetPhotograph: PRIndependent spirit: the high-street off licence has faced a tough few years, but is well worth supporting.Photograph: PRIndependent spirit: the high-street off licence has faced a tough few years, but is well worth supporting.David Williams2015-02-08T06:00:07ZArgentina’s wine growers need you | David Williamshttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/01/wines-of-argentina-david-williams
<p>Argentina’s wine industry faces a constant battle against the economy and cut-backs. All the more reason to try some of the excellent bottles it manages to produce against the odds</p><p><strong>Gouguenheim Cabernet Sauvignon, Valle Escondido, Mendoza, Argentina 2013 (&pound;8.40, </strong><a href="http://ww2.tanners-wine.co.uk/"><strong>Tanners Wines</strong></a><strong>; &pound;8.59, </strong><a href="http://adnams.co.uk/"><strong>Adnams</strong></a><strong>) </strong>There is, sadly, a familiar ring to the current news coming out of Argentina’s wine industry. Thousands of growers took to the streets in the country’s wine capital, Mendoza, this month to protest at a lack of government help to combat the malign affects of rampant inflation, challenging exchange rates and slowing exports. Many fear for their livelihoods. Good reason then to try out some of the country’s excellent bottles, starting with this beautifully fragrant and genuine bargain cabernet from high-altitude vines in Mendoza.</p><p><strong>Catena DV Cabernet Franc, Mendoza, Argentina 2012 (&pound;9.99, </strong><a href="http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/search/default.aspx?searchBox=wine&amp;newSort=true&amp;search=Search"><strong>Tesco</strong></a><strong>) </strong>Like every producer in the sub-regions of Mendoza, Gougenheim also does a neat line in malbec (try the sinuous, juicy Escondido Malbec 2013 for &pound;6.99, also at <a href="http://adnams.co.uk/">Adnams</a>). But few have done more to promote the country’s signature red grape variety than Catena. Led by the economist Dr Nicol&aacute;s Catena, the company makes superb examples ranging from the budget (<a href="http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/search/default.aspx?searchBox=tesco+finest+wine&amp;newSort=true&amp;search=Search">Tesco Finest</a> 2013; &pound;7.99) to the sumptuous (Catena Alta Malbec 2011; &pound;27.95, <a href="http://slurp.co.uk/">Slurp</a>). Chardonnay is another speciality, while the herbal freshness of cabernet franc is beautifully rendered in this silky red at Tesco.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/01/wines-of-argentina-david-williams">Continue reading...</a>WineFood & drinkLife and styleArgentinaSun, 01 Feb 2015 05:59:05 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/01/wines-of-argentina-david-williamsPhotograph: PRThree Argentinian winesPhotograph: PRThree Argentinian winesPhotograph: AlamyMake it malbec: grapes growing in Mendoza, Argentina. Photograph: AlamyPhotograph: AlamyMake it malbec: grapes growing in Mendoza, Argentina. Photograph: AlamyDavid Williams2015-02-01T05:59:05ZThe case for Chianti | David Williamshttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/25/the-case-for-chianti-wines-of-the-week-david-williams
<p>What exactly constitutes a Chianti? From geography to grape mixes, here are three very distinct and very tasty Chiantis for you to try</p><p><a href="http://www.marksandspencer.com/"><strong>Marks &amp; Spencer</strong></a><strong> Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy 2012 (&pound;8.99)</strong> The Chianti name has been much abused, and not just by Hannibal Lecter with his liver and fava beans. It’s a wine that too often disappoints, with producers either failing to add fruit flavour to the distinctive, high-acid snap and rasp of the local sangiovese grape variety, or obscuring its character altogether with the clumsy use of toasty new oak and strongly flavoured international grape varieties such as cabernet, syrah or merlot. Not so M&amp;S’s new and very decent own-label, a 100% sangiovese that has plenty of bright cherry and raspberry to go with the savoury tannins and juicy acidity that work so well with lamb chops blackened on the grill.<br /></p><p><strong>Bibbiano Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy 2012 (&pound;14.99, </strong><a href="http://www.bbr.com"><strong>Berry Bros &amp; Rudd</strong></a><strong>) </strong>As is the case in wine regions all over Europe, there is a certain amount of ideological debate about what constitutes true Chianti. Traditionalists tend to argue that it’s all about the sangiovese, maybe backed up with a little of another local red grape, canaiolo. And while their argument rather glosses over the fact that, until the mid-1990s, producers weren’t officially permitted to make a 100% sangiovese, and that, historically, the Chianti blend also included white varieties malvasia and trebbiano, the composition of most of my favourite Chiantis tend to back them up. Certainly, I wouldn’t disagree with Berry Bros &amp; Rudd buyer David Berry Green’s assessment that Bibbiano’s all-sangiovese Classico tastes exactly as I think Chianti should do: that racy-raspy quality presented with deliciously pure oregano-edged red fruit.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/25/the-case-for-chianti-wines-of-the-week-david-williams">Continue reading...</a>WineFood & drinkLife and styleSun, 25 Jan 2015 05:59:02 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/25/the-case-for-chianti-wines-of-the-week-david-williamsPhotograph: Alamy‘I’ll have a large glass!’: a wine festival in Chianti, Tuscany. Photograph: AlamyPhotograph: Alamy‘I’ll have a large glass!’: a wine festival in Chianti, Tuscany. Photograph: AlamyDavid Williams2015-01-25T05:59:02ZLebanese wines: a tribute to Serge Hochar | David Williamshttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/18/lebanese-wines-serge-hochar
<p>The great Lebanese winemaker Serge Hochar, who died recently, produced wonderful wine right through his country’s civil war. Here’s a tribute to his courage and good taste</p><p><strong>Hochar P&egrave;re et Fils, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon 2009 (&pound;13.99, </strong><a href="https://www.majestic.co.uk/"><strong>Majestic</strong></a><strong>) </strong>Urbane, Lebanese winemaker Serge Hochar, who has just died, had the old-world charm of a vintage French film star. But there was conviction behind the debonair fa&ccedil;ade and handmade suits, too. Amid the carnage of the civil war, Hochar made good his belief that wine was “above” war, continuing to produce the distinctive wines of his family’s Ch&acirc;teau Musar from grapes grown in the Bekaa Valley. A glass of this, Musar’s second wine, a sweetly spiced red, reminiscent of France’s Rh&ocirc;ne Valley, would make a worthy farewell salute to Hochar’s remarkable life.</p><p><strong>Ch&acirc;teau Musar, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon 2007 (&pound;21.99, </strong><a href="http://www.waitrose.com/"><strong>Waitrose</strong></a><strong>) </strong>It is for the top estate wines – a red blend of cabernet sauvignon, cinsault and carignan and a white from the local merwah and obaideh (the 2005 of which is available in some Majestic stores for &pound;19.99) – that Musar earned its global renown. Indeed, it’s thanks largely to Serge Hochar’s globetrotting promotional efforts that Musar put Lebanon’s ancient winemaking culture back on the map in the 1970s and 1980s. Both wines continue to have devoted cult followings, although their uncompromisingly unusual style also attracts criticism. They have a funky, wild quality that doesn’t sit easily with people who would rather have their wines spotlessly clean, but which I’ve always found fabulously exotic and complex – especially when the bottles have had a few years (decades) to mellow and mature.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/18/lebanese-wines-serge-hochar">Continue reading...</a>WineFood & drinkLife and styleLebanonSun, 18 Jan 2015 06:00:13 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/18/lebanese-wines-serge-hocharPhotograph: Sasha Maslov/Redux/EyevineSalut: Serge Hochar raises a glass of Chateau Musar in 2012. Photograph: Sasha Maslov/Redux/EyevinePhotograph: Sasha Maslov/Redux/EyevineSalut: Serge Hochar raises a glass of Chateau Musar in 2012. Photograph: Sasha Maslov/Redux/EyevineDavid Williams2015-01-18T06:00:13ZThree great budget wines for January | David Williamshttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/11/three-budget-wines-for-january
<p>These smooth and interesting wines won’t break the bank</p><p><strong>Waitrose Cuv&eacute;e Chasseur, Vin de France 2013 (&pound;4.99, </strong><a href="http://www.waitrose.com/"><strong>Waitrose</strong></a><strong>)</strong> At a time of the year when most of us would prefer not to open the scary-looking post, let alone the front door, I’ve been looking at ways to drink wine on a budget, gathering up the best-value bottles I can find. Because of tax, duty and the inflation of wine production costs, the ceiling of the bargain basement has risen exponentially over the past five years or so, just as austerity has bitten hardest. That means it’s very difficult to find anything decent under a fiver in the UK any more, which makes Waitrose’s trusty pair of southern French stalwarts more useful than ever: the dry citrus-and-gooseberry of Cuv&eacute;e Pecheur (&pound;4.99) is a decent stand-in for sauvignon blanc; the Cuv&eacute;e Chasseur has a juicy, berry-filled charm.</p><p><strong>Vaucluse Grenache Syrah, IGP Vaucluse, France NV (&pound;4.29, </strong><a href="http://www.morrisons.com/"><strong>Morrisons</strong></a><strong>)</strong> The problem with so many cheap wines is that they paper over the lack of fruit and rough edges with a jarring layer of sugar. Not so Morrisons’ little red gem from the Vaucluse in western Provence, which is unashamedly rustic but in a good way: it has that herby-pepper savouriness and grip I look for in red C&ocirc;tes du Rh&ocirc;ne and would work just fine with sausages. Neither is mawkish sweetness a problem with a <a href="http://www.tesco.com/">Tesco</a> duo made in South Africa’s Swartland by the talented Adi Badenhorst. Good value at their full prices of &pound;6.99 and &pound;7.49, both the tangy apple of the Finest Swartland Chenin Blanc and the smoky, brambly Finest Swartland Shiraz are currently a steal at &pound;5 a piece.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/11/three-budget-wines-for-january">Continue reading...</a>WineFood & drinkLife and styleSun, 11 Jan 2015 05:59:08 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/11/three-budget-wines-for-januaryPhotograph: PRThree budget wines for JanuaryPhotograph: PRThree budget wines for JanuaryDavid Williams2015-01-11T05:59:08ZWines for January | David Williamshttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/04/wines-for-january-david-williams
<p>Many people give up drinking this month, but surely you would be better changing your wine habits by trying something new. Here are three to taste</p><p><strong>Cantina Cleto Chiarli Pruno Nero, Emilia-Romagna, Italy NV (&pound;12.95, </strong><a href="http://www.greatwesternwine.co.uk/" title=""><strong>Great Western Wine</strong></a><strong>) </strong>How to approach wine post-Christmas excess? Some of us give up for a month, but there are better times for abstinence than the dark days of January. I prefer the frisson of transgressive pleasure that comes with drinking styles that feel slightly inappropriate amid the austerity. Sparkling wines, for example, whether a decent, budget-friendly white fizz such as <a href="https://www.aldi.co.uk/" title="">Aldi</a>’s creamy Philippe Michel Cr&eacute;mant du Jura 2012 (&pound;7.39), or, to go with the season’s meaty stews, Chiarli’s vivid, ripe black-cherry-filled sparkling Italian red, with its soft mousse and gentle tannic grip.</p><p><strong>Bolfan Primus Orange Pinot Sivi, Zagorje, Croatia 2012 (&pound;14, </strong><a href="http://www.marksandspencer.com/c/offers" title=""><strong>Marks &amp; Spencer</strong></a><strong>)</strong> My point, I suppose, is that New Year’s resolutions needn’t be joyless; the idea is to shake you out of a rut, not to purge all the fun from your life. When it comes to wine, my goal would be to get a little more adventurous, to break away from old favourites. I’d start with a wine like this, from Croatia, a&nbsp;country just starting to get a foothold in the UK, in a fashionable style known as “orange wine”, where a white wine grape – pinot grigio – is kept in contact with the skins and ferments slowly like a red, adding texture, colour and a delicious spiced orange, bittersweet character.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/04/wines-for-january-david-williams">Continue reading...</a>WineFood & drinkLife and styleSun, 04 Jan 2015 06:00:14 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/04/wines-for-january-david-williamsPhotograph: PRSomething new for the new year: three bottles for you to try this month.Photograph: PRSomething new for the new year: three bottles for you to try this month.David Williams2015-01-04T06:00:14ZThree of 2014’s best whites | David Williamshttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/dec/28/three-of-2014-best-white-wines
<p>An interesting Reisling, a good-value Muscadet and the hipster’s choice from the Jura</p><p><strong>Josef Leitz Eins Zwei Dry Riesling, Rheingau, Germany 2013 (&pound;13, </strong><a href="http://salut.co.uk/"><strong>Salut Wines</strong></a><strong>; &pound;14.99, </strong><a href="http://www.laithwaites.co.uk/jsp/homepage.jsp?cid=search%7cJB12%7cgoogle%7cBrand%7clw&amp;nst=0&amp;gclid=COWs97fnz8ICFUbMtAodDD0Aqg"><strong>Laithwaites</strong></a><strong>) </strong>Was 2014 a vintage year for wine? For Europe, the proof will come in the tasting next spring. When it comes to how wine was bought and sold in the UK, 2014 saw consolidation of the trend towards specialist independent merchants – with a flurry of new openings, it’s never been easier to find interesting bottles in a high street near you. Many newcomers double up as bars or restaurants, so you can try wines like the superbly incisive Eins Zwei Dry Riesling by the glass at Manchester newcomer Salut Wines for &pound;4.90 before you commit to taking a whole bottle home.</p><p><strong>Vinhos de Altitude Beyra Branco, Beira, Portugal 2012 (from &pound;9.70, </strong><a href="http://www.nywines.co.uk/"><strong>Noel Young Wines</strong></a><strong>; </strong><a href="http://www.bottleapostle.com/"><strong>Bottle Apostle</strong></a><strong>) </strong>Another French region on the up this year was Muscadet – many sommeliers looked to wines such as Vincent Caille Part du Colibri Muscadet 2013 (&pound;11.95, <a href="http://www.caviste.co.uk/">Caviste</a>) and Domaine des Cognettes Muscadet S&egrave;vre-et-Maine Sur Lie 2013 (&pound;9.95, <a href="http://www.robersonwine.com/">Roberson Wine</a>) as tense and saline, wallet- and seafood-friendly alternatives to grand cru Chablis. My choice for best-value wines of the year: Beyra’s fennel-flecked, limey Portuguese white, and the sumptuous, spicy Bodegas Juan Gil Pasico Old Vine Monastrell-Shiraz 2013 from Jumilla in southeast Spain (&pound;6, <a href="http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/sol/index.jsp">Sainsbury’s</a>).</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/dec/28/three-of-2014-best-white-wines">Continue reading...</a>WineFood & drinkLife and styleSun, 28 Dec 2014 06:00:07 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/dec/28/three-of-2014-best-white-winesPhotograph: ObserverRaise a glass to the year’s winning wines. Photograph: ObserverPhotograph: ObserverRaise a glass to the year’s winning wines. Photograph: ObserverDavid Williams2014-12-28T06:00:07ZFizz for Christmas and New Year | David Williamshttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/dec/21/fizz-for-christmas-and-new-year
<p>From a low-alcohol Italian sparkler to something special from Sussex, here are three bottles that will make the celebrations go with a pop</p><p><strong>Poderi Luigi Einaudi Moscato d’Asti, Piedmont, Italy 2013 (&pound;14.50, </strong><a href="http://talianwines.com" title=""><strong>Vini Italiani</strong></a><strong>)</strong> Italian panatone is as much a part of Christmas in the UK these days as a traditional British Christmas cake. Light and airy where the fruitcake is dense and weighty, it’s what my family has of a Christmas morning as the presents are unwrapped, usually matched with a glass of something similarly sweet and fluffy: the northern Italian sweet fizz of Moscato d’Asti. Luigi Einaudi’s vibrant version – with its aromas of muscat grape and honeysuckle, its tickle of fresh apple and lemon acidity and its low (5.5% abv) alcohol – is a particularly charming way to begin Christmas. It also works well later in the day as a gently boozy, between-courses palate-cleanser.</p><p><a href="http://www.tesco.com/" title=""><strong>Tesco</strong></a><strong> Cava Brut, Spain NV (&pound;4.99)</strong> According to an urgent recent survey by <a href="http://www.waitrose.com/shop/OfferDetails?merchId=ppcnewc&amp;tsrc=vdna&amp;gclid=CMudmeP4x8ICFSYIwwoddicAuQ&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds" title="">Waitrose</a>, buck’s fizz is the nation’s favourite Christmas cocktail, not least, I imagine, because it’s so easy to make. It can be pretty foul: both cheap orange juice and cheap champagne are aggressively acidic, and putting the two together brings out the wincing worst of them in a single sour shot. If I had to choose, I’d put most of my budget into the orange juice – maybe even squeezing some clementines or mandarins myself – since the subtleties of a good champagne are drowned out by the power of the citrus, which will always be the dominant flavour. I’d also tend to choose a decent, and not too obviously acidic, sparkling wine from a cheaper region: Tesco’s toasty, appley cava, for example, is a far more robust and flavoursome base, at a fraction of the price, than most cheap champagnes.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/dec/21/fizz-for-christmas-and-new-year">Continue reading...</a>ChristmasWineFood & drinkLife and styleSun, 21 Dec 2014 05:59:07 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/dec/21/fizz-for-christmas-and-new-yearPhotograph: /PRReal corkers: three fizzy wines to help you celebrate the festive season.Photograph: /PRReal corkers: three fizzy wines to help you celebrate the festive season.David Williams2014-12-21T05:59:07ZWines for the Christmas turkey | David Williamshttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/dec/14/wines-for-the-christmas-turkey
<p>Three bottles to help the big bird slip down a treat</p><p><strong>Cimarosa Pinot Noir, Leyda Valley, Chile 2013 (&pound;5.99, </strong><a href="http://www.lidl.co.uk/en/index.htm" title=""><strong>Lidl</strong></a><strong>) </strong>Which wine works with Christmas dinner? You want something that flatters the lighter meat but stands up to the gamier thighs and all the sweet and savoury sauces, gravy and vegetables. I reckon the choice boils down to three: a light red, a soft older red or a richer white. For the first of those the classical choice would be a red Burgundy like the graceful Domaine Jean-Jacques Girard Savigny-les-Beaune 2011 (&pound;18.99, <a href="http://www.waitrose.com/" title="">Waitrose</a>). On a budget, look for a pinot noir from Chile: both <a href="http://www.morrisons.com/" title="">Morrisons</a> Signature Chilean Pinot Noir 2013 (&pound;7.99) from Casablanca and Lidl’s cheapie from Leyda Valley do it well.</p><p><strong>Ch&acirc;teau Lyonnat, Lussac-St-Emilion, Bordeaux, France 2002 (&pound;12.50, </strong><a href="http://www.robersonwine.com/" title=""><strong>Roberson Wine</strong></a><strong>)</strong> You don’t need a Downton Abbey-like cellar to age wine; a fridge with the temperature set high will do. But most of us don’t keep wine for long after we’ve bought it, so if you want mature wine at Christmas buy it ready-aged. One of the few regions that sells its wines after significant time in barrel and bottle is Rioja, and La Rioja Alta Vi&ntilde;a Ardanza 2005 (&pound;19.99 for two, <a href="http://www.majestic.co.uk/?gclid=COzz_qCrtsICFYrHtAodyU4AsQ" title="">Majestic</a>) has a mellow, oak-panelled cosiness that fits with the Christmas mood. Look out, too, for older bottles from Bordeaux: Lyonnat’s soft blend has the cedary charm of a claret worth much more.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/dec/14/wines-for-the-christmas-turkey">Continue reading...</a>ChristmasWineFood & drinkLife and styleSun, 14 Dec 2014 05:59:05 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/dec/14/wines-for-the-christmas-turkeyPhotograph: PRReady for the 25th: three big bottles full of flavour for you to sample.Photograph: PRReady for the 25th: three big bottles full of flavour for you to sample.David Williams2014-12-14T05:59:05ZFortified wines for Christmas | David Williamshttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/dec/07/fortified-wines-for-christmas-david-williams
The big day wouldn’t be the same without something special in your glass. Here’s a Muscat, Port and sherry for you to try<p><strong>Pfeiffer Rutherglen Muscat, Victoria Australia (&pound;16, </strong><a href="http://www.thewinecompany.co.uk/" title=""><strong>The Wine Company</strong></a><strong>)</strong> Before its light wines began to take off in the latter part of the 20th century, Australia’s wine industry was better known for its fortified wines. Many mimicked the style and production methods of port – not surprising given the similarities in climate between much of South Australia and port’s home in Portugal’s Douro Valley. They’re hard to find in the UK these days, although <a href="http://www.laithwaites.co.uk/" title="">Laithwaites</a> has the fine, mellow Father Grand Tawny by Penfolds. More readily available is the toffee-and-raisins of Victoria’s Rutherglen Muscat, of which Pfeiffer’s is a particularly luscious example to match the Christmas pud.</p><p><strong>Niepoort Senior Tawny Port (&pound;19.95, </strong><a href="http://www.leaandsandeman.co.uk/" title=""><strong>Lea &amp; Sandeman</strong></a><strong>) </strong>At a time when the trendier souls of London – many of them sporting moustaches like the one on this bottle – are happy to sip sherry all year round, it’s something of a puzzle that port remains so stubbornly seasonal. Many of us don’t even buy a new bottle each year: despite the fact that an opened bottle will begin to lose its lustre a week or so after opening, we turn to last year’s dregs to fill our teeny thimbles for the Stilton. Far better to serve it in normal wine glasses and drink it up by New Year – an easy proposition when the wine is as suave and sophisticated as top producer Dirk Niepoort’s aged tawny.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/dec/07/fortified-wines-for-christmas-david-williams">Continue reading...</a>WineFood & drinkLife and styleChristmasSun, 07 Dec 2014 05:59:03 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/dec/07/fortified-wines-for-christmas-david-williamsPhotograph: /PRHeady stuff: three strong drinks for Christmas Day.Photograph: /PRHeady stuff: three strong drinks for Christmas Day.David Williams2014-12-07T05:59:03ZThree Australian wines to try | David Williamshttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/nov/30/three-australian-wines-to-try
A complex Chardonnay, a spice-infused Shiraz and a budget Pinot Noir from the Antipodes<p><strong>Wolf Blass Silver Label Chardonnay, South Australia 2013 (&pound;12.99, Tesco) </strong>“Troubled” is the adjective favoured by the business press when writing about Treasury Wine Estates. And with falling profits, a huge $100m loss in its last fiscal year and the announcement that it is to close a&nbsp;much-loved 130-year-old winery as part of a wave of cost-cutting, 2014 has certainly not been a vintage year for Australia’s largest wine company. This would not bother me if it weren’t for the fact that Treasury owns some of Australia’s greatest producers. A recent tasting at Wolf Blass suggested its Chardonnays, such as the complex, oatmealy Silver Label, are so far untouched by any trouble at the top.</p><p><strong>Penfolds Bin 2 Shiraz Mourv&egrave;dre South Australia 2012 (&pound;19.99, or &pound;13.22 if you buy two, Majestic)</strong> The real diamond in the Treasury is Penfolds, which occupies a similar cultural position in Australia to Ch&acirc;teau Lafite or Domaine de la Roman&eacute;e-Conti in France. Much of that is down to Grange, a shiraz first produced in 1951 that remains the country’s most expensive wine. The good news is that the fabulously silky, deep and exotically scented 2010 is one of the best I’ve tasted. The bad news is that a case of six bottles will set you back &pound;1,770 (<a href="http://www.bbr.com/" title="">bbr.com</a>). Better value is the polished St Henri Shiraz 2011 (&pound;65, <a href="http://hedonism.co.uk/" title="">hedonism.co.uk</a>), or, for my pocket, the purring, spice-infused Bin 2.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/nov/30/three-australian-wines-to-try">Continue reading...</a>WineFood & drinkLife and styleSun, 30 Nov 2014 06:00:14 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/nov/30/three-australian-wines-to-tryPhotograph: /PRThe taste of AustraliaPhotograph: /PRThe taste of AustraliaDavid Williams2014-11-30T06:00:14ZGet to know the carmenère grape variety | David Williamshttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/nov/23/get-to-know-carmenere-grape-variety
<p>For a grape that was thought to have vanished, the carmenère variety is fast making up for lost time</p><p><strong>De Martino Nuevo Mundo Carmen&egrave;re 2013 (&pound;8.99, </strong><a href="http://www.vintageroots.co.uk/"><strong>Vintage Roots</strong></a><strong>) </strong>It’s 20 years now since the carmen&egrave;re grape variety, originally from Bordeaux and long thought to have disappeared, was rediscovered masquerading as merlot in the vineyards of Chilean producer Vi&ntilde;a Carmen. It’s taken this drinker the better part of those two decades to appreciate its charms – not surprising, really, when you consider that the Chileans spent much of that time first identifying carmen&egrave;re vines in their “merlot” vineyards and then learning how best to work with them. They’re mastering it now, though: Carmen, which launched the first wine labelled as such in 1996, remains a name to look out for, but I’m very fond of this fresh, vividly black-fruited organic bargain.</p><p><strong>Vi&ntilde;a Falernia Carmen&egrave;re Reserva, Elqui Valley, Chile 2012 (&pound;12.95, </strong><a href="http://www.greatwesternwine.co.uk/"><strong>Great Western Wine</strong></a><strong>) </strong>In general Chilean carmen&egrave;re works best, for me at least, when growers allow it to express some of its natural herbal character without letting it take over. Just a seasoning of green, rather than a humid greenhouse-full of tomato plant, adds a certain freshness which reminds me of the light red wines made from cabernet franc in France’s Loire Valley. More serious examples can take on flavours of dark chocolate and soy sauce, as well as the classic super-ripe Chilean blackcurrant. But one of my favourite carmen&egrave;res, from Vi&ntilde;a Falernia in northern Chile’s Elqui Valley, takes its cue from northeastern Italy, using a portion of dried grapes in the manner of Amarone della Valpolicella to make a deep, rich, sensuous red full of chocolate, sweet spice and dried and fresh black fruit.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/nov/23/get-to-know-carmenere-grape-variety">Continue reading...</a>WineFood & drinkLife and styleSun, 23 Nov 2014 05:59:06 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/nov/23/get-to-know-carmenere-grape-varietyPhotograph: PRFruity reds: three of the best carmenèresPhotograph: PRFruity reds: three of the best carmenèresDavid Williams2014-11-23T05:59:06ZThree Sicilian wines to tempt you | David Williamshttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/nov/16/three-sicilian-wines-to-tempt-you
The Italian peninsula has long been known as a make of good wine, but what about great wine? Here are three bottles from Sicily which show the island’s range<p><strong>Pietradolce Etna Rosso, Sicily, Italy 2013 (&pound;17.99, </strong><a href="https://www.armitwines.co.uk/" title=""><strong>Armit Wines</strong></a><strong>; </strong><a href="http://www.corksof.com/" title=""><strong>Corks of Cotham</strong></a><strong>) </strong>Fine wine in modern Italy is a relatively new phenomenon. Of course plenty of wine has always been made in the peninsula. But, aside from a&nbsp;handful of exceptional producers, France was always miles ahead when it came to the truly thrilling stuff. In a recent article for <a href="https://www.thewinesociety.com/" title="">the Wine Society</a>’s magazine, the writer Nicolas Belfrage – an expert on the wines of Italy – dates the beginning of the country’s vinous renaissance to the 1970s. But Sicily’s current status as one of Europe’s most exciting wine regions is still more recent, a critical mass of quality-focused producers arriving only in the 1990s and 2000s. Pietradolce is most certainly among them, and&nbsp;this red from 2013 is a captivating mix of red-fruited delicacy and earthy textures.</p><p><strong>Valdibella Ariddu Grillo, Camporeale, Sicily 2012 (&pound;11.95, </strong><a href="http://www.bbr.com/" title=""><strong>Berry Brothers &amp; Rudd</strong></a><strong>)</strong> Pietradolce’s is but one example of the wine style that has attracted most attention on Sicily: the local grape variety nerello mascalese from vineyards on Mount Etna. No surprises why – there’s something romantically perverse about a wine produced on the slopes of what&nbsp;is still an active volcano, especially when the pale but powerful results recall the haunting complexity of&nbsp;Burgundian pinot noir and Piemontese nebbiolo. But while the complex Etna wines (both red and white) by Graci were a&nbsp;highlight of a&nbsp;recent tasting of Sicilians at smart retailer <a href="http://www.bbr.com/" title="">Berry&nbsp;Bros &amp;&nbsp;Rudd</a>, buyer David Berry Green’s selection proved that there is so much more to&nbsp;the island – this intense, exotically fruited, herb-streaked white from the western Camporeale region being particularly fine value.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/nov/16/three-sicilian-wines-to-tempt-you">Continue reading...</a>WineFood & drinkLife and styleSun, 16 Nov 2014 05:59:04 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/nov/16/three-sicilian-wines-to-tempt-youPhotograph: PRThe beautiful south: three great bottles from Chilean producers at the top of their game.Photograph: PRThe beautiful south: three great bottles from Chilean producers at the top of their game.David Williams2014-11-16T05:59:04ZGetting to know garnacha | David Williamshttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/nov/09/wine-getting-to-know-garnacha-grape
It’s behind ordinary plonk and the some of the world’s greats. Here’s three very different bottles made with the garnacha (aka grenache) grape variety for you to try<p><a href="http://www.waitrose.com/" title=""><strong>Waitrose</strong></a><strong> Mellow and Fruity Spanish Red 2013 (&pound;4.99) </strong>When I think of the garnacha grape variety, or grenache as its known in France, I think of crabby old bush vines on sun-blasted southern European terrain. Garnacha is lizard-like, basking in the heat of the sun, its roots seeking out water in the unlikeliest of crannies deep, deep down in even the driest, rockiest soils. Loved by growers for its resilience, its wines don’t always get the respect they deserve – or the prices. As a provider of high-quality budget reds, such as this sweetly brambly fruited red from Campo de Borja in Spain’s Aragon region, it simply can’t be beaten.</p><p><strong>Celler Pi&ntilde;ol Portal Tinto, Terra Alta 2011 (&pound;14.45, </strong><a href="http://www.bbr.com/" title=""><strong>Berry Brothers &amp; Rudd</strong></a><strong>)</strong> Garnacha’s reputation suffers for its being hidden in plain sight: the wines of two of the world’s most expensive regions, Ch&acirc;teauneuf-du-Pape in the Rh&ocirc;ne Valley and Priorat in Catalan Spain, have grenache/garnacha as their principal component but it’s rarely singled out on the label. There is also a sense that garnacha’s sweet fleshiness is best accompanied by something darker and chewier. And so the recipe for this succulent, savoury, earthy red from the highlands of southwestern Catalonia tempers garnacha’s juiciness with syrah, sinewy cari&ntilde;ena (aka carignan) and a dollop of plummy merlot.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/nov/09/wine-getting-to-know-garnacha-grape">Continue reading...</a>WineFood & drinkLife and styleSun, 09 Nov 2014 05:59:11 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/nov/09/wine-getting-to-know-garnacha-grapePhotograph: PRWines of the week: it's got to be garnacha.Photograph: PRWines of the week: it's got to be garnacha.David Williams2014-11-09T05:59:11ZA trio from Naked Wines | David Williamshttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/nov/02/wine-of-the-week-from-naked-wine-david-williams
Reluctant convert David Williams picks out three bottles from the crowd-funding wine merchants<p><strong>Stepp Pinot Blanc Limestone, Pfalz, Germany 2013 (&pound;16.99, </strong><a href="http://www.nakedwines.com/" title=""><strong>Naked Wines</strong></a><strong>)</strong> I’ve been a bit curmudgeonly about online retailer Naked Wines in the past. The company offers a version of crowd-funding, asking customers, known (rather ickily) as “Angels”, to pay &pound;20 a month to help fund winemaking projects. In return they get cheaper prices – and a halo for helping small farmers who might otherwise struggle for business. Given there are more than 700 other indie retailers in the UK effectively supporting small producers simply by selling their wines, I’m not sure I’d want to put that much of my annual wine budget in one place before even buying a bottle. But I can’t deny that the wines themselves are interesting – not least this gorgeous German white Burgundy-alike from ex-M&amp;S wine buyer Gerd Stepp.</p><p><strong>Domaine Jones La Gare Old Vine Carignan 2013 (&pound;24.99, </strong><a href="http://www.nakedwines.com/" title=""><strong>Naked Wines</strong></a><strong>)</strong> One of the more heartening tales from Naked concerns Katie Jones, who left the UK for Languedoc-Roussillon and started a winery in 2007. Her wines were immediately well received, and her gamble in swapping a well-paid job for a romantic ideal was paying off, when disaster struck: vandals broke in and destroyed the entire 2012 vintage of her white wine. Naked stepped in and within 48 hours its customers had pre-ordered 30,000 bottles of her next vintage. Jones stayed afloat, and members still have access to her fabulously intense Carignan, among other gems, for &pound;16.99.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/nov/02/wine-of-the-week-from-naked-wine-david-williams">Continue reading...</a>WineFood & drinkLife and styleSun, 02 Nov 2014 06:00:02 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/nov/02/wine-of-the-week-from-naked-wine-david-williamsPhotograph: /PRThe bare necessities: a trio from Naked WinesPhotograph: /PRThe bare necessities: a trio from Naked WinesDavid Williams2014-11-02T06:00:02ZThe wines posh supermarkets are fighting over | David Williamshttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/oct/26/wines-posh-supermarkets-fight-david-williams
As some of the mid-market traders get themselves into a financial muddle, M&amp;S and Waitrose are battling it out for your wine pound<p><strong>Aemilia Shiraz/Vranec/Petit Verdot, Tikves, Macedonia 2013 (&pound;8.99, </strong><a href="http://www.waitrose.com/" title=""><strong>Waitrose</strong></a><strong>) </strong>As Tesco gets itself into an unholy financial muddle, and Morrisons, Asda and Sainsbury’s find themselves squeezed by the interchangeable almost-anagrams of the German discounters, the two posh British supermarkets are sitting pretty. Certainly that’s the view from the wine departments: Waitrose and M&amp;S are currently aisles ahead of the Big Retail (if not the indie’ merchant) competition. They’re more prepared to take risks on the esoteric than their mainstream rivals, even if those risks end up being quite similar. Both, for example, have brought in a vividly spicy red based on the local vranec variety from Tikves in ex-Yugoslav Macedonia, with the Waitrose bottle (made in fact by an ex-M&amp;S buyer) just shading M&amp;S’s Vranec Merlot 2013 (&pound;9) for value at the offer price of &pound;6.99 until 28 October.</p><p><strong>Cornelia White, Swartland, South Africa 2014 (&pound;10, </strong><a href="http://www.marksandspencer.com/" title=""><strong>Marks &amp; Spencer</strong></a><strong>) </strong>That Waitrose and M&amp;S have the odd supplier in common shouldn’t come as a surprise: scan the back of supermarket own-labels and it’s remarkable how many familiar names keep popping up. Le Cave de Tain, a co-operative in the northern Rh&ocirc;ne, seems to make pretty much every supermarket Crozes-Hermitage (and usually pretty well) with the exception of the terrifically peppery, meaty Sainsbury’s Taste The Difference version by Michel Chapoutier (a standout bargain at &pound;10 for the latest 2012 vintage). Another approaching ubiquity is South Africa’s specialist in Rh&ocirc;ne-like wines, Adi Badenhorst, one of my favourite winemakers, with the new apple-tangy, creamy, chewy textured Chenin-based white blend he’s made for M&amp;S just pipping his somewhat cheaper efforts in Tesco and Morrisons for intensity and character.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/oct/26/wines-posh-supermarkets-fight-david-williams">Continue reading...</a>WineFood & drinkLife and styleSun, 26 Oct 2014 05:59:04 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/oct/26/wines-posh-supermarkets-fight-david-williamsPhotograph: /PRPlenty of bottle: three wines to try this week.Photograph: /PRPlenty of bottle: three wines to try this week.David Williams2014-10-26T05:59:04ZWines made from grapes with unusual origins | David Williamshttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/oct/19/wines-grapes-unusual-origins-david-williams
<p>A wine made in London prompts the question: what’s more important, the winemaker or the vineyard?</p><p><strong>London Cru SW6 Red Wine 1 (&pound;15, </strong><a href="http://www.londoncru.co.uk" title=""><strong>London Cru</strong></a><strong>)</strong> A wine made in London? It’s a counter-intuitive idea, all the more so when you consider there are no commercial vineyards (I’m not counting the odd allotment or back-garden row of vines) in the capital. Inspired by the urban wineries of San Francisco and New York, London Cru instead brought the grapes for its four debut wines from three locations in southern Europe. And having followed the progress of this syrah from the vines of Ch&acirc;teau de Corneilla near Perpignan in the Roussillon as they were picked last September via refrigerated truck to fermentation tank in the backstreets of SW6, I’m pleased to report that it is so, so much better than the gimmick it so easily could have been: it’s a superbly fresh, vividly fruity, natural-tasting red.</p><p><strong>Clos des Augustins Le Gamin, Pic Saint-Loup, France 2011 (&pound;16.95, </strong><a href="http://www.caviste.co.uk" title=""><strong>Caviste</strong></a><strong>)</strong> In fact all the London Cru wines are impressive, each sharing that same sense of verve and purity, whether made from barbera grapes imported from Piedmont or cabernet sauvignon from Languedoc natural wine star, Jeff Coutelou. There’s a stylistic thread running through them, which, given the diversity of sources, raises the question: what’s more important, the vines or the winemaker? The answer, of course, is both: London Cru’s Gavin Monery has a wonderful light touch, but it would all come to nothing if the fruit he worked with wasn’t up to scratch. The same is true of Coutelou and, indeed, fellow Languedoc biodynamic producer, Clos des Augustins, whose elegant but fleshy and spicy red is one of many highlights in the range of the excellent independent merchant, Caviste.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/oct/19/wines-grapes-unusual-origins-david-williams">Continue reading...</a>WineFood & drinkLife and styleSun, 19 Oct 2014 04:59:05 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/oct/19/wines-grapes-unusual-origins-david-williamsPhotograph: PRCapital stuff: a wine from London, plus two with more traditional beginnings.Photograph: PRCapital stuff: a wine from London, plus two with more traditional beginnings.David Williams2014-10-19T04:59:05Z